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Who ever said that 3% cornstarch is going to hurt
the bees in the least? Heck, many beekeepers use
"fondant" (soft candy) that they buy from bakery
supply houses, and that has specs of up to 5%
"other than sugar" content.

In the queen-cage plug application, the candy
is an insignificant fraction of any one bee's
diet, and is only eaten for a matter of a week
at most by the queen and the attendants while
in shipping. Once in the hive, the plug is
consumed by a large number of hive workers,
each one only getting a few bites as the bees
crowd around to release the queen.

Everyone involved will be able to void their
wastes in a timely manner, so there is never
and reason to have concerns about using
confectioners (powdered) sugar for queen cages.

While there may be some beekeepers with concerns
about feeding something with 3% corn starch
to an overwintering colony, fondant is most often
a "last-ditch" feeding tactic, fed when it is
not yet warm enough to expect the bees to use
a feeder, and one needs to put food "in contact"
with the cluster. The period before it becomes
warm enough to fly and void wastes is not going
to be long enough (absolutely NEVER very long
in Moyock, NC, down by the coast) for 3% to
make any impact on the bees.

Regardless, if your choice is feeding something
that is slightly less "pure", or having the colony
starve, I think I know which choice you will pick.
A colony with dysentery can be cured. A colony
that starves is dead and gone forever.

IMO Powdered sugar and HFCS should be used and mixed until you have a thick paste that does not run at a temp. of +/- 95 deg.
It is not recommended by any agency to use honey, because of the risk of transfering diseases. (foulbrood) Corn syrup does not dry out as fast as water when used with the powdered sugar. This is what I use in my shipping cages when I ship queens.
Frank Wyatt
WG Bee
Eden, NC